Only 4 in 10 Arizonans Would Take COVID Vaccine
Concern over Coronavirus hits 5-Month Low
PHOENIX (September 15th, 2020)- As a vaccine for the Coronavirus becomes a reality, Arizonans are skittish about taking advantage of any panacea. According to OH Predictive Insights’ Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP), only two-in-five (38 percent) Arizona voters would take the vaccine even if it were offered to them for free.
The monthly AZPOP survey also found that 38 percent of the likely voters in the state would refuse to take a vaccine, with nearly one quarter (23 percent) undecided.
“The public is going to need some convincing to take a vaccine when the time comes,” says OHPI Chief Pollster Mike Noble. “Public officials from President Trump on down are going to have their work cut out for them, given that more than 60 percent of voters wouldn’t be ready to get the shot.”
There are some encouraging signs, however. Those most at a heightened risk of being severely affected by the Coronavirus – namely, the elderly – are more willing to be vaccinated. Forty-three percent of those 55 and older would take a vaccine if they were offered it, while only 34 percent of those under the age of 55 would do the same.
The origin of a vaccine influences whether people would be willing to take it. More than half of voters (54%) would be willing to take a vaccine that was developed and produced in the United States – including 34% of voters who would take the vaccine only if it was created in the US. More than one-quarter of voters would not be willing to take the vaccine even if it were developed within the country.
Regardless of a vaccine, more voters expect the COVID situation to improve in the coming month. A combined 44 percent of likely voters expect the outbreak to get better, and 32 percent expect conditions to worsen. The partisan divide that has emerged around the Coronavirus has not disappeared; in fact, it has only widened. Seventy percent of Republicans are optimistic about the next 30 days, while just 36 percent of Independents and 20 percent of Democrats are.
When looking at concern over the Coronavirus, the partisan nature of the debate becomes even starker. Almost 9 in 10 (87%) of Democrats are very concerned about the Coronavirus, a decrease of 1 percent since August. Republican concern, on the other hand, has fallen 11 points since August. Now, less than one-quarter of GOP voters say they are extremely or moderately concerned about the virus.
Turning to state leadership, Gov. Doug Ducey’s approval rating continues to climb, after hitting its low in July – when Arizona was dealing with the peak of the Coronavirus outbreak. Now, 45 percent of the state’s likely voting electorate approve of the job Ducey is doing to combat COVID. The number is still far from its 59 percent record high set in June but is a significant increase from its 35 percent mark in July.
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Methodology: This poll was conducted as a blended phone survey 46.5% Live Caller/53.5% IVR. The survey was completed by OH Predictive Insights from September 8th to September 10th, 2020, from an Arizona 2020 Likely Voter sample. The sample demographics were weighted to accurately reflect gender, region, age, party affiliation, ethnicity, and education level. The sample size was 600 completed surveys, with an MoE of ± 4.0%. Numbers may not equal 100% due to rounding. Note: a change was made in the sample methodology of the AZPOP between June and July 2020 to better reflect the state of Arizona’s voter composition.
Media Contacts: Mike Noble, OH Predictive Insights, m.noble@ohpredictive.com, (480) 313-1837 Haylye Plaster, OH Predictive Insights, h.plaster@ohpredictive.com, (602) 687-3034
About OH Predictive Insights: As a nonpartisan market research, predictive analytics, and public opinion polling firm, Phoenix-based OH Predictive Insights provides accurate polling, focus groups, data analytics, and advanced targeted marketing to political and non-political clients alike. With leading professionals in the advertising, communication, polling, and political arenas, OH Predictive Insights will service political and non-political clients looking to improve their footing on key stakeholders and consumers. For more information, please call 602-362-5694 or submit a request online.